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Question

I am a girl who has a crush on my teacher. Is it okay to have a crush if you are a Christian?

Answer

Thank you for your question. I’m sure there are many girls who are in the same situation and wondering the same thing.

I’m going to separate this question into two issues:

Having a crush in general

Having a crush on your teacher (or any other adult in a position of responsibility)

1. Having a crush in general

As girls, we respond emotionally to things like physical appearance, friendliness & kindness, sense of humour etc. That’s the way we’re wired. We can’t help notice when someone catches our eye, but the Bible says that looking at (or thinking about) someone with lustful thoughts is wrong (Matthew 5:28); maybe you’ve heard people say something along the lines of “it’s the second glance that’s sinful”. That’s referring to your heart or mind lusting after someone.

Lust is not love, and we should be careful not to mix up human impulses with what the right way of acting is. If your crush is developing, then it’s a good idea to speak to your parents/youth leader/pastor about the situation, and they can give you advice on how to deal with your personal situation (for example, if the other person is interested, how can you start getting to know each better in a pure and God-honouring way).

2. Having a crush on your teacher (or any other adult in a position of responsibility)

I’m sure most women will admit to having some kind of crush on a teacher during their school years. However, you must remember that your teachers are in a position of authority and responsibility over you, and that any care they show towards is likely to be purely professional, because to be a teacher you have to care about the development of the people you’re working with. Any good teacher will be encouraging and supportive, and that’s where it ends.

Do not be tempted to overstep the mark with anyone who is in a position of responsibility for you (teachers, youth workers, social workers, doctors etc) – they could get into a lot of trouble over it, potentially losing their jobs or even worse.

In summary, having a crush can be a part of growing up, but make sure you are dealing with it in a God-honouring way.

Here are some Bible verses about relationships you could look at:

2 Peter 1:5-6

Proverbs 4:23

Philippians 4:8

Philippians 1:27

Disclaimer: If you feel that a teacher or anyone else is acting physically or emotionally inappropriately towards you, please please tell an adult you trust about the situation.

I do hope this general answer to your question goes some way to helping you find peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. If you want to know more about what Jesus has done for you please watch the video on the main part of our site: www.lookingforGod.com

In closing, I want to encourage you to get more involved with your local church. It would be good to speak to a Christian leader or another trusted church individual regarding your question. I know they would be delighted to further answer you as well as offer prayer and support as you continue your spiritual journey:www.lookingforgod.com/churchfinder

Please use our Interactive Answer Matrix and feel free to ask another question. Our helpful staff are praying for you and waiting to try and answer to you from the Bible, and will be delighted to tell you more about Jesus Christ the Lord, the Saviour of the world. www.lookingforgod.com/your-questions

*All Scripture references are taken From The English Standard Version of the Holy Bible unless stated otherwise

*If anything in this answer affects you directly, then please feel free to call our confidential prayer line in the UK on 0845 4567729, where trained Christian volunteers will take your call and pray both for you and with you. If you are outside of the UK then you may submit your request for prayer on line at www.ucb.co.uk/prayerline